According to the US government, los Zetas are the most technologically advanced, sophisticated, and dangerous cartel in Mexico, a set of qualities that has also led them to become the most violent and feared. Formed back in 1999 when commandos from the Mexican army’s elite forces deserted ranks and became the armed forces for the Gulf Cartel, they then split off to start their own gang in 2010.

In the past few years they have taken control of Mexico’s Coahuila region in the north, along the border of Texas, and are now starting to thrive like never before. Los Zetas covertly entered the region, and under the threat of extreme violence for those who didn’t cooperate they swiftly brought every aspect of commerce, politics, and business under their control in less than three years.

This expansion was not undertaken to increase its drug trafficking or prostitution ring operations, but rather to enter into the business of coal mining.

The state of Coahuila is rich in coal, and mining the fuel offers los Zetas a rare chance to actually make money in a legal manner, as opposed to the normal rackets of drugs and sex trafficking.

The coal is mined through their own poorly paid workers, or bought at a low price from small miners, who are forced to sell their product. Los Zetas then resell the coal onto a state-owned company for a profit that is 30 times greater than the initial investment.

This setup is proving hugely lucrative for los Zetas, estimated to earn them around $25 million a year. Humberto Moreira, the former governor of Coahuila, said that the practice has even become more profitable than drug running.

13 Responses to Mexico’s Most Feared Drug Cartel has Entered the Coal Mining Business

No wonder Mitt wanted to get the American economy competitive with China’s! By competitive he meant no costly regulation on business like safety or wage laws!
I wonder if Bain Capital or other GOP Big Money guys are invested with the Zetas.

The whole point of government control is suppose to be to ensure that the workers get a fair wage and companies get a fair price for their product.
30 times the return on investment but the workers get none of these profits means the Mexican government is for the corporations at the expense of the people.
Fascism was described as corporations and business working together. Mexican capitalism and the GOP is best described as as corporations and business working together to screw the workers and make corporations rich.
Just look at right to work laws and the GOP opposition to the living wage.

If the GOP business shows did not hate Mexicans I would expect Lou Dobbs on Fox Business news to be telling GOPers to invest with the Zetas!
I’m guessing many GOPers are already investing with the Zetas. I mean Fracking has horrible returns on investment the GOP has to make money somewhere else to cover these losses!

Mexico is heading for a revolution I wonder if Obama will invade to help bring stability? To prevent Mexico from getting under the control of the drug dealers?
Or will he invade to prevent the workers from wrecking the drug dealers and American investor’s sweet profits?

The State of Coahuila presents a tempting target for any organised crime group looking to diversify from drug smuggling, kidnapping and extortion. It produces 95 percent of Mexico’s coal, churning out 15 million tons a year. Unregulated “pozos”, small roadside mines which are often little more than a hole in the road, abound; easy targets for those looking to make quick money.

An investigation by Mexican daily Reforma estimated that criminals were making half a million dollars a week off of these small unregulated mines, selling the coal on to legal businesses.

Coahuila’s pits have an unenviable safety history, the lowest point of which came in the death of sixty five workers in an accident in 2006. Even before Moreira’s revelations, Mexico’s federal human rights agency said that the infiltration of organised crime was stripping workers of even the basic safety protocols they enjoyed under legitimate businesses.

If Mexico is cooperating in the drug war and getting US money for the drug war then just how does America define cooperation in the drug war?
I don’t think the US thinks the word cooperation means what it thinks it means.

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